10th Annual Flint Hills Town Race Series Event #3
GCI Communications Open
Saturday, January 14, 2006
The day was a little on the chilly side, both West Valley's and
Lathrop's high school teams were in Valdez, and most of the UAF Ski Team
was sitting out the race after having raced hard the previous week at
the US Nationals. However, that did not stop nearly 100 hardy souls
from braving the bracing -10F temperatures to compete in the GCI
Communications Open, the third event in the 10th Annual Flint Hills Town
Race Series.
In the elementary races, pre-school, kindergarten and grade 1 and 2
skiers raced .75Km, grade 3 and 4 skiers competed over 1.25Km, and grade
5 and 6 skiers covered 1.75Km, all in mass-start format. Girls' winners
were Amber Lenze of Salcha (K-1-2), her sister Alicia Lenze of Salcha
(3-4), and Eliza Rorabaugh (5-6) of Chinook Charter School, who just
outsprinted her Fairbanks Junior Competition Team teammate Elizabeth
Whisenhant (University Park) for the win.
Boys' winners were Salcha's Connor Berry (K-1-2) by a narrow margin over
his Salcha teammate Herman “the Herminator” Nixon, Conor Smith (3-4) of
Pearl Creek, and Kuba Grzeda (5-6) of University Park in a close race
over Cody Nixon (Salcha) and Kyle Hanson (Weller).
Rachael Schmoker of Randy Smith Middle School was the Grade 7-8 Girls
winner. Ethan Kazmierczak of Eielson Junior HS and Salcha Ski Club was
the Grade 7-8 Boys winner by 22 seconds over Chinook's Logan Hanneman.
Middle school skiers raced 2.5Km in interval start format.
In the high school and adult women's classes, the skiers raced in
interval start format over distances of 7.5Km (women) and 10Km (men).
Thirty-five year-old Melissa Lewis, just back after some good results at
US National Championships, topped the women's field in 26:07.7 just 24
seconds ahead of 44-year-old Karin Gillis. Adele Mery of West Valley HS
was third overall in 27:12.8. In addition to those three, class winners
were Gina Baker (20-29, and 4th overall), and Norma Haubenstock (50-59).
Tyson Flaharty, skiing for the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks, topped the
men's field (and 20-29 class) in a time of 27:12.3, more than a minute
ahead of UAF Nanook Eric Wickstrom (20-29). Thirty-seven year-old Mike
Kramer won his class and was third overall, 3:45 behind the winner.
Other class winners were Rick Nelson (High School Boys), Bad Bob Baker
(40-49), Byron Broda (50-59) and Owen Hanley (60-69).
For results, go to: http://www.sportalaska.com/skiresults/2005-2006/
Coming races in Fairbanks include the Chest Medicine Fairbanks Distance
Series #2 next weekend on Sunday the 22nd, the final event in the 10th
Annual Flint Hills Town Race Series, the Auto Service Company Subaru
Skiathlon (mass-start skate for elementary and junior high; skiathlon
for high school and adult classes) on Saturday the 28th, and the final
race in the Besh Cup series, a mass-start skating race on Sunday,
February 5.
